Dispensing apparatus.



E. E. GLAUSSEN.

DISPENSING APPARATUS. APPLIOATION FILED DB0. 2.1911,

Patented Apr. 21,1914

flllllllllllll E. E. GLAUSSEN.

DISPBNSING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DBG. 2, 1911.

Patented Apr. 21,l 1914 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

alg. 2.

Witnesses: o@

EDWARD E. CLAUSSEN, 0F HARTFORD: CONNECTICT.

DIsrENsIN'G APPARATUS.

1l,tl93,976.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

Application filed December 2, 1911. Serial No. 663,600.

To all 4whom t may concern v Be it known that I, EDWARD E. CLAUSSEN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county ofHartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certainv new and usefulImprovements in Dispensing Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification. y

This invention relates to dispensing apparatus, the object of theinvention being' to provide an effective apparatus of this characterwhereby paper drinking cups or' other articles can be delivered singlyorindividually or in other suitable manner, with facility.

An apparatus involving my invention comprises other features ofadvantagewhich with the foregoing will be set forth at length in thefollowing descriptionwhere I will outline that form of embodiment of theinvention which I have selected lfor illus tration in the drawingsaccompanying and forming art of the present specification, this showingbeing to enable those skilled in the art to practise the invention.

From the observations just made it will be evident that I do notrestrictmyself to the disclosure made by said drawings and description.;I may depart therefrom in several ways within the scope ofthe inventionincluded in the claims following said description.

Referringto the drawings: Figure- 1 isa side elevation of avdispensingapparatus involving my invention. Fig. is a sectional viewl of the lowerpart of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are sections .on the lines 3-3 and 4-4respectivelyv of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional view partly in elevationof a modified lform of cup detaching or separatingmember, this view alsoshowing two of e oups and a portion of the container therefor.

` Fig. 6 is a detail view in elevation of one of the clips.

Like characters referf to like parts throughout the several views, whichit will be observed are on different scales.

An apparatus embodying my linvention preferably includes in its make-upa suitable container or housing for the articles to be dispensed, whichas will be gathered from the statements already made may be of anydesirable character; in the resent instance this container is adapted toouse or inclose a stack of drinking cups, and although these cups may bedisposed in the container in any 'suitable manner, they are as iscustom- -ary 1n nested order. l

A container'such as properly answers my requirements, is that denoted ina general way by 2 and which as illustrated'comprises the upper member 3and the lower member 4, the former being generally made in the form of aglass tube and being closely fitted 1n the upper portion of the member 4which ordinarily consists of a metal casing or shell which may be formedby casting or made from sheet metal. I may as illustrated, surround theglass tube 3 with a divided ring l or clamping member 5, the sections ofwhich may be held in clamping relation under lock and key as shown. zThe rear sect-ion of the clamping device 5 is shown provided with arearwardly extending arm adapted to be fastened by screws or otherwiseto a wall orotherl support. The'casin or shell 4 is represented providedwith a` iollow arm 4 adapted to be similarly' connected with saidsupport. The upper end of the glass tube in the Vconstruction shown iselo-sed, the lower 'open end thereof fitting the upper open side of theshell 4 and said tube is adapted to contain the stack. of nested cups,the lower soV end of the stack extending a short distance 1 into the.casing or shell-and being preferably as will hereinafter appearsupported in said shell against accidental movement. When all the cupsfrom the apparatus have been l vended, the clamping device 5 will befreed from the tube 3 at which time said tube can" supporting means ofwhatevercharaeter the same may be.

In connection with the casing or container 2 I prefer to provide anindividual or single' cup dispensing member, and although saiddispensing member may take any'desira'ble form, it is shown as beingpractically in the vform of a valve' orclosure 7 for-the lower open endof the container 2, being in the presentcase pivoted as at 8 to the rearlower side of the casing orshell 4. When the' per edge of the valve ison an upward, forward incline, and this inclined edge is adapted tobear' normally against the correspondingly-inclined lower edge of thecasing orshell y4 as represented in said Fig. 1. As will hereinafterappear I separate a cup or some otherarticle', from a stack orotherwisefformed group, and cause the same to pass `as by gravity ontothe `said valve or Aclosure 7 and. preferably during this particular4action the valve is opened which is accomplished in the present case,by swingthat these several means act during the same time, although notnecessarily in unison.

Asl a means for sustaining Athe stackpf nested cups I may as illustratedprovide several downwardly and inwardly inclined i,

springs 9 the tips 4of which have enlargements 10 to lit the. turnedover portion of the'rim of the lowermost cup of the stack. The Shanks ofsaid lsprings 9 merge into a band adapted toffha-ve its free endsbrought together to form a ring which fits against the inner surface of:the shell 4 the upper edge .of said band having a flange 11 adapted toclosely fit any annu-lar channel 12 .within the shell v4. To aid inpreventing di-splacementof .the band with which the springs 9 areintegral, the divided resilient ring 13 may be provided, said ring beingadapted to engage the inner surface of said band, and by its springyVeii'ectaiding i-n securelyf'holding it 'in place. There may, of course,kbe any desired number of springs 9.

'he'resilient or spring ring is shown provided with several pendentspring tongues or ears 14 'adapted to engage the stack immediately abovethe lowermost cup, and these spring tongues or lugs effectually preventaccidental upward movement during the return movement of the withdrawingdevice as will hereinafter appear and they also equally efectually aidin supporting the stack, acting 4as auxiliary supporting means; that isthey are, supplemental to the main supporting springs 9 ,to which I havealready referred. i

The withdrawing device is shown as coni sisting of a leverv denoted in ageneral way bv 15 and this lever comprises companion side branches 16fulcrumecl on a. transverse shaft 18 which is ysupported in the sidewalls of the hollow attaching arm 4 of the casing or Shel-V4. The rearportion of each of the branches. is straight, while the forwardportionthereof is circular, the two circular portions being united at the frontand being situated within the shell 4 and presenting to gether almost anannulus, and in describing such part as an annulus, I do not meannecessarily that it is circular but rather that it is in the form of aband or open construction; through the annular or open portion the lowerpart of the stack extends. On the circular port-ions of the lever arefastened the Shanks of resilient lingers such as the hooks 19 of whichas illustrated, there are four, two being 4connected with each branchofthe lever. lfhe upper or active ends of these hooks normally lieacross the upper edge of the 'lowermost cup of the stack at which timethe lever 15 will be practically horizontal, although this particulardisposition of the lever is not materiaL When the lever is swungdownward said, hooksl) will separate or withdraw the lowermost cup fromthe stack during which action the hooks or springs 9 momentarily spreador open outward to release said cup, and then close into normal positionto receive the descending stack. As soon as the lowermost cup .isseparated from the stack it falls onto the valve 7 which is preferably,but not necessarily, operatively connected with the lever 16, forinstance by means of a connecting rod or link 20 pivoted to therespective parts. To facilitate the operations of the lever 16 the samemay be provided with a finger piece 21 connected with the forwardlyextending arm 22 of said lever, the shell 4 having an elongated verticalslot 23 through which said arm 22 extends. As intimated when the lever15 is pulled down the lowermost cup will be separated from the stack;and as the lever is returned to its original position, the fingers orhooks 19 will rise therewith and as they ride against what is then thelowermost cup they will be spread outwardly, so that when they reach theupper edge of said lowermost cup, their active ends or hook portions canspring over the top of said lowermost cup. When the lever is being movedupward the hooks 19 exert an upward thrustupon the stack, but the stackis ctfectually prevented' from being moved upward at this time, by thetongues or lugs 14 which exert a pressure upon the stack suiicient toprevent such action. Coiled around the pivot 8 of the valve or closure 7is a coiled spring 24, the action of which is to positively shut saidyclosure or valve andtherefore through the rod 20, return the lever 15 toits original position.

' The foregoing detailed description covers the construction shown inFigs. 1 to 4 inclusive. In Figs. 5 and 6 I show a different form ofdetaching member. In these two last mentioned views the cup detachinglever` is constructed and mounted exactly like the lever 15 alreadydescribed. Uponthe l3() being equipped with bearings to sustain thesepivots. The inner sides of the sleeven like transverse portions of theclips 31 areI shown provided with lugs 34 to which pull springs 35 areconnected, said springs also being connected with the lever 30, byreason of which the two .clips are yieldingly mounted. Said transverseportions are provided at their rear with lugs 35 adapted when the lever30 is in its uppermost position to engage against stops 36 which may asshown consist of screws tapped through projections 37 on the inner sideof the container 38.' Asthe lever 30 is drawn down the lugs 35 will moveaway from t-he lower ends of the screws 36 so that the springs '35 canpull the hooks 32 of the 'companion clips 31 over the upper edge of thelowermost cup of the stack whereby on the continued` downward movementof said lever the said lowermostv cup will be separated from the stack.On the upward movement of the lever 30 the two clips will engage what isthen the lowermost cup, and owing to the fact that they are yieldinglymounted they canbe swung outwardly. On t-he continued upward movement ofthe lever the lugs 35 will engage the screws 36 which, as will be clearpresent adjustable stops so as to entirely move the clips 31 away fromthe stack of cups.

What I claim is: v 1. In an apparatus of the class described, thecombination of a container for a stack of nested drinking cups, meansfor supporting said stack, means for 'positively withdrawing thelowermost cup from the stack, and yieldable'ingers for engaging thestack and preventing accidental upward movement thereof on the returnmovement of said withdrawing means.

'2'. ,In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of acontainer for a stack of nested drinking cups, means for positivelywithdrawing. the lowermost cup'from the stack, and a ring fitted withinthe container and provided with yieldable tingers for engaging the stackand for preventing accidental upward movement thereof on the returnmovement ofl saidwithdrawing means. 4

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of acontainer for a stack of nested drinking cups, a plurality of springswithin the container for supporting the stack, a ring in the containerto aid in holding said springs yin place, and. means for posi/tivelywithdrawing the lowermost cup fromv the stack, said `ring having meansto prevent accidental upward movement-of the stack on the returnmovement of said withdrawing means.

4. In an apparatus of the class described,l the combination of acontainer for -a stack of nested drinking' cups, yieldable means forengaging the lowermost cup to thereby support the stack, and auxiliaryyieldable supporting means, for engaging the stack at a higher point,the lowermost cup of the stack extending below the first mentionedsupporting. means.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of acontainer for a stack of nested drinking cups, a lever pivotallysupported 'within the container and acces-l sible exteriorly thereof, apivoted valve for said container, constituting a dispensing membertherefor, means upon the lever for positively separating the lowermostcup from thestack on the downward movement of the lever, a linkconnecting the lever and the valve at a point to the rear of said cupseparating means, and means active independently of the valve, forsupporting the stack.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of acontainer for a stack of nested drinking cups, yieldable vsupportingmeans for supporting the stack and en gaging thelowermost cup, andauxiliary yieldable supporting means situated above said othersupporting means for also .sup-

porting the stack and at the same time pre- 100 venting upward movementof said stack.

A 7. The combination ,of a container for a" stack of nested drinkingcups, a closure for said container-'by opening vwhich access may be hadto the interior of said container, a movably mounted member rovided withmeans for separating a cup rom the stack, means independent of saidmovably mounted member and the. closure, for supporting the stack, andlan' operative connection between 110 said movably mounted member and theclosure whereby when one of said parts is operated, the other willthrough said connection, be also operated. x

In testlmony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

EDWARD E. CLAUSSEN.

HEATH SUTHERLAND,

L. L. MARKEL.

